Looking for info on Locust Grove/Lake of the Woods (Richmond: crime, buying a house)

[amymb28]

Hi! I am new here... I registered today so I could pick your brain!

My husband is in the military and we are looking at possibly being stationed at Quantico. But we don't want to live on base, or really near base, for that matter. We've done some online searching and found the Lake of the Woods community in Locust Grove, CA, where we may be interested in buying a house. Does anyone know what the commute between there (in Orange county) and Quantico would be like? We know it's about 40 miles or so, and the husband doesn't mind driving a bit to work, but I'm wondering if it's really bad/congested through there.

Also, any general info on the area would be great, if you are familiar with it. It seems a little remote, but I think accessing larger areas with more to do would be easy. Also, does anyone use the VRE train system? Is it reliable? Does the schedule work well?

Thanks in advance for anything you can give me! )

[5stones]

i bumped a fredericksburg thread for you it had some info on lake of the woods. search the forum there are quite a few on that area..around frederickburg etc...

[EricD]

In the morning it would probably be under an hour... but the drive home on Rt. 3 will be a pain in the neck. Anytime after 4 pm Rt. 3 from I-95 all the way to Andora Dr. (Near Chancellor Elementary School) can take you 45 minutes to an hour on it's own, not to mention the conjestion on I-95 south he'll have to be dealing with.

I personally don't like L.O.W. My wife and I were looking at houses in there, and the surrounding area, but it's not worth it. I used to be on the water skiing team, and all of that when I was younger, but I'd never buy a home there now. home prices are way over-rated for being so far in the middle of no-where. They have some of their own shops now, but for most shopping you still have to drive back into Fredericksburg or Culpeper.

Maybe check out the Ladysmith area... the housing prices are still low, and it would be closer for your husband to go to work. (only 20 miles further south on I-95, but right near the highway) Once you get past Rt. 3 (exit 130) on I-95 in the evenings, it gets about 1/2 as congested, and then after exit 126 in Spotsylvania, it's almost empty. (Exept on Fridays)

Ladysmith is exit 110 in Caroline county... there are several posts about the county. There are 2 large new communities going in, Ladysmith Village (a small town style community with shops, library, new elementary school almost built, and a YMCA breaking ground this fall) and Pendleton (golfcourse, wider lots, community pool and such...) Thereis also two older communities that are gated, Lake Land'or and Lake Caroline. Lake Caroline is just like L.O.W. but maybe 1/2 the size.

Good luck on your search

[BuddyC]

My house in LOW is a weekend/summer house so my perspective might be different than some, but I like LOW very much. So you'll know what you are dealing with, LOW has about 4000 lots most of which now have houses on them. Of the 4000, about 750, are actually on the lake. You'll tend to find newer (or more recently renovated), and obvioulsy more expensive, houses actually on the lake. Also, you should know there are two lakes. The main lake is 500+ acres and allows speed boats. Smaller lake is maybe 35 acres and doesn't allowed powered boats (maybe electric). In my view difference between living on the lake and not on the lake (meaning the main lake) amounts to the choice between two different communities. The advantages of the views, easy access, etc of living on the lake make a huge diffeerence. of course, some see that as a negative for child safety reasons. Off the the lake you can get a house anywhere from 200K to 500/600K or so. On the lake you will need to spend at least 500K (usually closer to 600K or 700K or more) for a nice updated house. The lots will be smallish no matter where you are in LOW so don't consider it if lots of land is a priority. Also, there is a yearly assesment, which was about $1030 I think this year. Some people will argue you get nothing for that which is a clear oversimplification. Reality is you get lots and it's just a matter of whether the things you get are of value to you. If the assesment is a problem, I wouldn't move there because it will only go up. Commute to Quantico will be tough but at least you/he would avoid the worst of the traffic of farther north in Northern virginia. See lowa.org for all kinds of info on LOW.

Bottom line is I highly recommmend LOW if you can afford a place directly on the main lake. if not, It's a case by case call. Hope this helps.

[onevthoki]

Hi Amy! Is it just you and your husband or will you be looking for activities for the kids? If so, you may want to look closer to Fredericksburg, because otherwise you will be doing quite a bit of driving! Also, what are you looking for in a community? Do you want an HOA, pool, sidewalks??? All of that are things that may help us recommend some areas to look into.

As for the drive to Quantico, Eric is right about the morning - should be fairly easy. My husband is retired Army and I try and make it up to the commissary every 3-4 weeks. To give you an idea of time, I normally will drop the kids at school and then head up there. Once I hit the 95 from Route 3, it only takes 20 minutes to get to the Quantico exit; the trick is how long it takes you to get to 95! If you hit the lights just right you can go through without stopping and can do it (from Gordon Road) in about 5 minutes.

There are some great folks in Fredericksburg, and plenty make the Quantico commute. I think you'll enjoy it here! If you need any help, please feel free to PM me and I'll do all I can to help you out!

[dottieG]

Hi Amy,
The replies you have gotten are all correct. But like one poster indicated, it really depends on what all your needs and wants will be. As another option, consider the Stafford area. This is a hop, skip and jump into the base and there are some nice communities. Garrisonville road is rough during commuting hours, but not horrible if he is just going to Quantico. You may even want to consider north or northwest of Quantico, in the mid county area of Prince William County as the commute would be in reverse traffic. Many many options out there for you. Narrow your needs and wants, do some research, check out crime and school statistics. All these are available on line to get you started. Hope this is helpful.

[amymb28]

Thanks for all the responses!

To answer a few questions, no kids as of yet, so we can be a bit more flexible. And we both like the idea of HOA's, particularly in communities with lakes!

I have looked around a bit more online, and I do like Lake Caroline and Lake Land'Or. I am concerned it's too far away from shopping/activities, though. I can't get a good feel online of whether or not there is a more centralized town in these areas... like with grocery stores, restaurants, etc. Can anyone fill me in?

[EricD]

Originally Posted by amymb28

Thanks for all the responses!

To answer a few questions, no kids as of yet, so we can be a bit more flexible. And we both like the idea of HOA's, particularly in communities with lakes!

I have looked around a bit more online, and I do like Lake Caroline and Lake Land'Or. I am concerned it's too far away from shopping/activities, though. I can't get a good feel online of whether or not there is a more centralized town in these areas... like with grocery stores, restaurants, etc. Can anyone fill me in?

Lake land'or, and lake caroline are both in Ladysmith Virginia. It actually would be a shorter drive to/from quantico, just because it's all highway, and after you get past Rt. 3 in the evenings, the rest of the trip is easy. (To go to L.O.W., you'd have to get off at Rt. 3 and drive through all those stop lights on the way home.)

Both Ladysmith and by L.O.W. have similar shopping. A grocery store, some places to eat, a dollar store, and so-on. To do major shopping, you have to drive 15-20 minutes from either place. Both places are growing, but I think Ladysmith is growing a bit faster. Also it gives you the option to work in Richmond (only 35-40 minutes south) If you do visit Ladysmith, be sure to check out Ladysmith Village as well as Pendleton. Both are large planned communities just getting started. And if you need a lake, Lake Anna is the second largest lake in VA, and is only 15 minutes away. (several beaches and boat ramps and such)

Good Luck

[irisheyes13]

Originally Posted by EricD

And if you need a lake, Lake Anna is the second largest lake in VA, and is only 15 minutes away. (several beaches and boat ramps and such)

Good Luck

I was searching for info on Lake Anna and saw this thread and have a question. We recently drove around the area and I was surprised by how "remote" it seemed. Our trip was spur of the moment so we probably missed something but where do people grocery shop or go for medical care? We thought the area was beautiful but wondered how far away these things were..
Thanks..